For example, Cesar Chavez, the Hispanic labor advocate lionized by the left, advocated for strict Immigration and Naturalization Service enforcement for the protection of his legal unionized laborers. Clarence Jones, a former advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in his book What Would Martin Say? that he believes King would similarly oppose illegal immigration due to the economic effects an influx of illegal laborers might have on black Americans and their economic security. Barbara Jordan, the first black woman to serve in Congress from the south, testified before Congress on immigration policy in 1995 that an effective policy would find that "those who should not be here will be required to leave."

With black unemployment officially at 15.5 percent in November of 2011 (and likely much higher considering so many no longer look for work) and an astronomical 39.6 percent for black teenagers, illegal immigrant jobseekers can place a particular strain on the black community.

Yet today's black leadership remains fighting the old battle for human rights when the new prize is economic opportunity. In the process, they aren't really standing up for black America. Jesse Jackson, for instance, demanded last year in Phoenix that "we must end the criminalization of undocumented people." The NAACP worries that immigration enforcement such as Arizona's state-based version of federal immigration laws will "contribute to the further criminalization of black and brown community members and mass incarceration."

Granny says Obama gettin' out ahead of the curve on immigration reform...White House pushes forward on immigration ahead of bigger reform fightJanuary 3,`13 - The Obama administrations decision this week to ease visa requirements for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants represents its latest move to reshape immigration through executive action, even as the White House gears up for an uncertain political fight over a far-more-sweeping legislative package in the months ahead.

Immigration advocates on Thursday hailed a rule change at the Department of Homeland Security that would make it easier for many undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States as they seek permanent residency, saying it will improve the lives of relatives who could have been separated for years without the changes. For President Obama  who has called the inability to achieve comprehensive immigration reform among the biggest regrets of his first term  the new policy is among a series of steps his administration has taken over the past year aimed in part at easing the pace of deportations, which have surged during his tenure. Many of the steps came amid a presidential campaign that included sharp disagreements over immigration policy and strong support among Latinos and Asians for Obama.

The centerpiece was Obamas decision, announced last June, to stop deporting people who were brought to the country as children and have gone on to be productive and otherwise law-abiding residents. He is checking off every administrative box he can of what he can do with executive authority that comports with his overall view of immigration policy, said Angela Kelley, an analyst at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank allied with the White House.

The latest policy change is focused on illegal immigrants who have a spouse, parent or child with U.S. citizenship. Currently, in order to become legal they must leave the United States and apply for a waiver forgiving their unlawful presence in the country. Only then can they apply for an immigrant visa. And if they dont get a waiver, they are barred from returning to the United States for up to 10 years, depending on the case. The specter of being barred deterred many from applying. But under the rule change finalized Wednesday, those who qualify will be able to apply for waivers from within the United States starting March 4. Applicants must return to their native country for a brief period for the consular immigrant visa process.

Biden: Latinos 'the center of this nation's future' 1/3/13 - Vice President Joe Biden says the 2012 election will be forever viewed as a turning point for the Latino community, whose political and economic power is "just about to take full flight."

"What's finally happened is the American people, the American people have finally begun to understand the awesome potential, future potential of the Hispanic community," he said Thursday at a welcome reception for new Latino members of Congress. "...Now the nation -- and I might add the hemisphere -- understands the Hispanic community must be courted. Must be courted." Biden and President Obama were reelected in part thanks to strong support from Latino voters, a key bloc they courted heavily throughout the campaign.

At the reception, put on by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Biden ticked off stats, including that Latinos now comprise 25 percent of children in grade school in the United States. "You're the center of this nation's future," he said. And the vice president suggested progress would be easier going forward, noting the American people's support when the president instituted deferrals for deportations of children of immigrants last year. "Immediately, two thirds of the American people said 'It's about time,'" he said. " There was no blowback, all the talk of ..blowback, there was no blowback."

At the same time, the vice president said the deferrals are "only a small part of what has to be done." But he also said that he believes Republicans have had a "rapid epiphany" since the election about immigration reform. He encouraged attendees to "step up and step out" in their states and let Republicans and others in power know, "If you ignore the needs and concerns of the Hispanic people, you will not win, you will not win."

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